


Death and His Master (and mate) Have Some Fun

by elvirakitties



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Crack, Bottom Severus Snape, Crack Treated Seriously, Death, F/F, F/M, Ginny Weasley Bashing, Good Severus Snape, Hermione Granger Bashing, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Master of Death (Harry Potter), Master of Death Harry Potter, Ron Weasley Bashing, Slash, The Deathly Hallows, Time Travel Fix-It, Top Harry, time fix but differently
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:21:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28874508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elvirakitties/pseuds/elvirakitties
Summary: Everyone dies eventually, right? Wrong....but that doesn't mean those who can't die can't have some fun. Death is bored of the same routine and decides his Master must be too. He also thinks it is time to mess with Dumbledore and knows that is his master's favorite thing to do. Yep, time to mess with a timeline and Time, herself.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy/Voldemort
Comments: 63
Kudos: 513





	1. Chapter 1

Death was waiting for the person to die. The man was taking his sweet time in doing so. He started tapping his foot. He had things he needed to do and this man should have died already. "Will you let go? You are not going to suddenly recover. I am here for a reason." He looked at the form next to him. 

"I have so much I need to do. I have a wife, my kids, oh God, my kids. Kathy, what will she do?" The guy was only in his forties but his kids were almost ready to enter college. He was aware that his wife knew was aware of Kathy, his mistress. 

"He isn't going to help and it's a done deal, so if you would just let me do my job." 

"How do I know what you are saying is true? You look like an old man dressed in black." The guy was hitting the denial aspect.

Death transformed into what mortal considered his death form. "Better for you? Now, let's go. Besides, your wife has Michael. She was going to serve you with divorce papers so she could marry him. Your kids love him. They're handled." 

The guy dropped to his knees. Great, here comes the barter part. Why can't some mortals just accept death? Thankfully, no non-magical mortal had figured out how to get around the two things in life that were originally guaranteed, death and taxes. "No, no, no. I don't do trades. Now, let's go or I will force it and it's painful for you." Death mention that it also caused trauma when it came to sorting time and his master hated to deal with the mess the trauma could create. The man didn't get a chance to make a decision as his body gave in to the injuries. He sighed, yes, it was time for some meddling and another holiday.

\------Small time skip------

Harry hated doing the sorting unless it was one of his favorites to torture. He wasn't surprised when Death entered the sorting room. Death sat down and waited for his Master to finish. "Busy day today." It was generally not a busy day unless it was something major because Fate and Destiny go into a fight and caused volcano eruptions, tidal waves, or even massive fires. 

Death snorted. So far, Time had been able to keep her sisters from fighting for a bit but there were a lot of timelines they monitored. "Master, I have an idea." Death was going to speak to some of the reapers about setting up a betting pool.

"Oh?" Harry was bored. Yes, he visited other timelines but he also had to be careful he didn't mess up the timeline. He loved to see how the different timelines were developing and how different some were. 

"Well, the newest timeline just reached December 1926 and I thought we could have some fun and play with time and Time." 

Harry thought about the newest timeline. He had been thinking of playing with it just to mess with Dumbledore and his plans. They had never tried it by starting with Voldemort. Harry grinned. "I do agree, let's have some fun." 

_________________Time skip______26 December 1926

Death and Harry arrived at the road outside of the orphanage. Merope Gaunt was struggling to make it to the house she could see. It was rainy and cold. The forecast mentioned snow too. Harry and Death walked down the road to meet the woman. She was wearing a heavy black cloak. "Are you alright?" 

It was clear she wasn't as she was struggling to walk through a painful contraction in the hopes of making it to the orphanage. Wool's Orphanage was down the road and their driveway was just a massive puddle. "You dolt, she isn't." Harry loved playing muggle and Death loved playing a kind, old man. "Let's take her home and get a healer to look at her." 

"No, no, I can make it to the house over there." Merope pointed to the orphanage. They didn't even turn and look. Tom Marvolo Riddle was not going to reside at Wool's. The House Matron didn't like kids and only took the job so she wouldn't be living on the streets. Perhaps next timeline they could change her and give those kids a chance. 

"Nonsense, as if a muggle could handle taking care of a magical birth." Death took Merope's arm. Merope Gaunt leaned heavily onto the arm. Death was thankful that he wasn't a real old man or they could be on the ground. "Mrs. Riddle, we can get you nice and warm and you can have that baby in a nice safe environment." 

Merope was aware that everyone knew who she was in the area because of her crazy father. Her brother wasn't much better. Her brother was mean besides having a bit of craziness from their father. Same towns were small towns and everyone knew everyone's business whether you liked it or not. "Yes, yes, that would be good." 

Death apparated with Merope to one of the houses that they purchased at the beginning of the month. It wasn't a big house. It just had five bedrooms and two bathrooms with a master's ensuite. The house sat on two acres of land and wards were surrounding the property. The house was a Tudor-style brick house and in one of the villages in the Hangleton area. They didn't want to change too much. Harry arrived right after them. "I will summon a healer, I believe the green bedroom will be comfortable for her." 

Death escorted Merope out of the foyer to the bedroom. Tom Marvolo Riddle was born to a mother who had a healer to handle the complications of childbirth as well as Harry offering her a job as the housekeeper and she and her son would reside at the house with two house-elves. 

\-----Later that night---after the sorting

"I wonder who Dumbledore will attempt to use to kill Grindlewald?" Harry was going to be keeping a close eye on this timeline. He didn't want Dumbledore destroying lives just so he could remain in power.

"I believe he will still attempt to find orphans. He got the idea from Grindlewald." Death was reviewing the list for tomorrow's death toll. He started to assign Reapers to some of those listed. He had some he had to handle personally. 

"True, true. Should we deal with Grindlewald too?" Harry was drumming his fingers on his desk and didn't hear his mate enter the room. They didn't want to mess with the timeline too much but at the same time, it was a bit fun to see what happened to Dumbledore's plans when they did.

"Where have you two been? Time was here and she wasn't happy. I calmed her down but I expect her to visit later." 

"Oh, sorry, love. We were off saving Tom from Wool's Orphanage." Harry gave him a kiss. He summoned a chair. "Tea?" 

"Please. Explain what you did." 

Harry and Death explained their plan and how they weren't sure what to do with some major events or even minor players who could change major events. People like Gringlewald, the Gaunt family, and even the Riddle family. "A simple solution my love is that no matter what you do, there are other timelines where you can help save more people with your changes." 

Harry smiled. "See, one of the many reasons why you are my mate. You think of things we don't." 

"Yes, it's because it's called remembering that you are the Master of Death." 

Death snorted. Harry laughed. "Severus Snape, you are perfect."

"I am aware of that aspect. Now, how about we go to Italy for dinner. I have been craving a Fiorentina Steak." Severus stood up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The earlier years of Tom Marvolo Riddle (without Dumbledore's interference)

(Tom is about five) 

Harry was walking down the lane just enjoying the cool spring weather. He hated coming to England when it was winter but spring, well that was different. The only time they ever came to this timeline during winter was if it was regarding Tom. They always shared the Yule holiday and made Tom's birthday special for him. He was almost to the walkway when he heard Tom. "Higher, Mummy, higher." Harry could see Merope was pushing Tom on the swing that Severus and Death had installed last year. 

Merope must have seen him walking because Tom attempted to jump off the swing but couldn't. They had installed a nice safety spell onto the seat of the swing and Tom couldn't jump off until it was safe for him to do so. He did hear the boy yelling "Uncle Harry, Uncle Harry, look!" Tom finally jumped off of the swing and didn't fall. His little legs started moving and soon Harry had a set of arms wrapped around his legs. "Where is Uncle Sev and Uncle Thanatos?" 

"Good morning to you too, Tom. They will be here after they finish whatever they are working on." Harry wasn't about to try and explain that Severus and Death were arguing over the best poisons for slowly killing someone without their knowledge. Harry was a bit biased and believed Severus had the winner but he didn't want to admit it to Death since Death did know death. Hmm, he has been hanging around Death for too long. "Good morning, Merope. How are you today?"

"I am fine, Lord Potter, I thank you for asking." Merope picked up Tom. "You, young man, need to remember your manners."

"Yes, ma'am." Tom didn't look the least bit remorseful at the reminder. 

"We shan't be here for long. I believe just overnight. I have some business I need to handle at the tax office and the parcel of land next to this has come up for sale." 

"Aye, it has. Yesterday as a matter of fact. I wrote to you yesterday regarding it and we were going to walk to the maildrop today." Merope wasn't surprised Lord Potter would be interested. He had purchased any land that became available over the last few years since she started here. 

"Yes, I heard that Mr. Olson passed and he had no relatives and the estate is finally on the market." Harry did have the inside scoop, after all. "He has a barn that I am going to restore and expand. It would be great for horses. What do you say, Tom? Some horses, a few cows, perhaps some sheep, and other animals? You think you could research the best animals for this area for us?" 

Tom's eyes went big with the idea of being able to assist. "Oh, yes, sir, I would love to do it. Mummy got me some new books on animals too." 

Harry smiled. "She did?" Harry half-listened to Tom telling him about the books.

Merope watched and listened as they walked. She wasn't sure how she got so lucky to have Master Harry and Master Thanatos find her that day she was delivering Tom. She loved her job, loved how they treated her son, and her. She had never had dresses that had been measured and fitted to her before. She had more than one or two. She even had the matching bonnets, cloaks, and handbags. She never had to worry about clothes, books, or even her son's education. It was an easy job too. The three men were rarely here and when they were, they used a house-elf before ever calling her to fetch anything. She went to bed each night in a warm, dry, safe place as did her son. She wasn't sure what deity listened to her that day but she owed them her life.

________________________________________________________________________________

"Uncle Severus?" Tom was having his potion lesson. His mother was cutting up ingredients as Severus was making some healing potions for some of the sick villagers. 

"Yes, Tom?" 

"Why does it matter about cutting everything evenly?" Tom hadn't had much experience in cutting the ingredients as of yet but he was a reader and couldn't find the answer in the beginners' books for children he read. "All the books I have read have potions for making things like shredded paper." 

"You have the beginners' series. It is designed to get children, like yourself, interested in making potions. They are just for fun type of potions. They won't include the boring but important stuff until the next level." Severus had already purchased the next level books for Tom and they were going to be his reward if he finished the research Harry had assigned the book regarding animals. 

"Oh." Tom was counting out the poppy seeds Severus needed so he didn't comment until he was finished. "Will you tell me?" 

Severus laughed. "I will." Severus looked down at Tom. "Unlike in cooking, you can't always taste a potion or see if a potion will work until at times, it's too late. Uneven ingredients can create miscalculated ingredients which create-"

"A potion mishap?"

"A guess or the answer?" 

"The answer." Tom's voice sounded hopeful.

"You are correct and potion mishaps can be serious. Now, also, if you don't cut an ingredient correctly, you don't get the full-"

"Benefit." Tom almost bounced in his seat. 

"Correct. Now, if your Uncle Harry and Uncle Thanantos ever ask you to assist in brewing, you are to say?"

"No?" Tom wasn't sure regarding this answer, however, he never saw the two brewing so he felt it was correct.

"Excellent. If Uncle Thanantos ever suggests brewing, you let me know right away." Severus didn't want to know what Death would create in order to test a theory. Death had done some interesting experiments in some of the other timelines but hadn't used potions as of yet. He did feel it would only be a matter of time until Death got bored and would attempt to craft one.

Merope was smiling as she watched the two work. She loved how each of the men never talked down to her son. Each of them taught him different things but they never just gave her son the answer. They would require him to search for it. They did provide her with primers for teaching Tom how to read, write, and count. Tom was very smart and a quick learner. She wasn't sure where he got it from. Her former husband wasn't very bright and neither was her father or brother. The three Lords were very different from her father and brother. She had believed when she married Squire Riddle's son that things would improve. No, the man was a tyrant. He only wanted one thing from her and married her for it and when he got it, discarded her. She lived in the same town as her family as a divorced woman now. Thank Merlin, she never saw any of them and she wanted to keep it that way. 

_____________________________________________

Death was standing with Tom as they looked at the barn that Harry wanted to fix up. "It should be torn down. What is holding it up? A wish and prayer?" 

Tom loved his Uncle Thanatos. The man was blunt, fun, and wasn't afraid of anything. "Magic?" 

"There isn't enough magic in the world for that mess that your Uncles want to call a barn. Perhaps it's the rusty nails? I wonder if they haven't rotted." Death looked around the area. "New fencing will be needed." 

"I was reading about the different fencing for which animals will be needed. Mummy and I went into Diagon Alley and picked up some books." 

"Oh, and how was the trip?" Death could see Harry and Severus were deciding on what needed to be done. "I bet you some biscuits that your Uncle Severus will win on the barn being torn down." 

"It isn't much of a bet, Uncle Thanatos. Uncle Severus always wins when it comes to getting Uncle Harry to do what he wants." 

Death wasn't about to inform the child regarding the truth of the relationship. Harry permitted Severus to get his way a lot because Harry could care less at times but Harry was the one in charge of everything, including death, time, fate, destiny, and he wondered if it included taxes? He hadn't had a tax bill in ---hmmm, when was the last time he had one? "How about where the new expansion will be?" 

Tom looked up at Death. "You just want my biscuits." 

Death laughed. "Not true, not true. Now, tell me about your great book hunt." 

Tom began to tell Death about Diagon Alley and everything he had seen. Merope had been standing near a tree watching and listening. Thanatos brought her son so much laughter and fun. Yes, the man taught her son too but he was more carefree and his wit was interesting. Thanatos was teaching her son about the ways of men in such a different way. She had been afraid at first when she discovered him teaching his son about betting and human nature but she figured it was better he learned at home instead of out in the cruel world. The world was too cruel as she well knew and she would rather her son learn it in a safe and protective way. Soon he would be starting his school with the kids in town. She wasn't sure how she felt about it but she also had a feeling that the three men in her life would be around and help as they had been for the past five years. 

______________________________________________________________________

Harry was drumming his fingers on his desk. "He is thinking again." Death looked at Severus. 

"Yes, I am aware. He has been deciding if we should interfere with Dumbledore. Grindelwald and a few others are already supporting Hitler." Severus was impressed by Harry's knowledge of muggle history. 

"I am thinking if we remove Hitler it will remove a lot of deaths but how much damage will it do? I mean the man affected so much history because of his actions. If I just remove Grindelwald, what effect does that have too? Will it stop Dumbledore is the biggest thing too. I am wondering if we remove Hitler or Grindelwald, will he just decide that he must move forward with his idea of taking control of the muggles for their own good?" 

"Decisions, decisions. Let's draw cards, lowest decides, and if we don't like what happens, we can always try again." Death summoned a deck of cards. 

"We are not making a decision on a draw of a card." Severus looked annoyed. "I saw a hat." 

Harry looked at the two of them. "You two have been hanging around each other for too long." Harry stood up. "No, let's just see what happens with our removal of Tom from the equation. We can, however, have some fun with Dumbledore. I do believe he is going to be experiencing a staffing issue until we get hired." 

"Oh, now this could be fun." Severus smiled. "I wonder how many potions we can have him test for us?" 

"Oh, I found one in Ancient Greece that might be useful to use." 

"Come on, you two. Let's go and torment Dumbledore." Harry didn't give Severus time to stand but instead pulled his mate into his arms. "I also want some Honeydukes." 

"I do not want to hear about what you two will do with chocolate. I think I need to go and find Time, she might want to hit the town afterward." Death had been having a thing with Time for a long time.


End file.
